


Cake and Company

by RainbowArches



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, a day late but oh well, nick's birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 06:33:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8963335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowArches/pseuds/RainbowArches
Summary: Celebrating Nick's 65th.





	

Liho trotted up, whining for pets as soon as Nick stepped in the door. He knelt down and scratched the cat behind the ears. His back cracked when he straightened up again, and he stretched his arms above his head, arching his back a little to work out the rest of the kinks.

He yawned, leaning heavily against the door, his eye drifting shut. He pulled his eye patch off and massaged the line the strap left on his head. He let his brain shut off for a moment, but eventually the little changes he’d noticed in the apartment registered and he was back on alert.

He went to the kitchen table to read the note that had been left for him, his hand inside his jacket, touching the weapon concealed there.

The note said “Happy Birthday Nick!” in big bubble letters. Hearts and smiley faces and fireworks had been drawn around it in pink and green sharpie. He smiled, relaxed. He'd forgotten it was his birthday. The card was hastily put together but Hill and Nat didn’t have a lot of time on their hands.

The fruit bowl had been replenished since he’d left. The alarmingly brown bananas were gone and had been replaced with oranges, apples, lemons, and other colorful things. A loaf of fresh baked banana bread was on the counter.

He shrugged off his jacket and put on some music. He sat in his armchair and enjoyed a big slice of banana bread and some lemon and honey tea, and drifted to sleep.

 

This was the song he’d fallen asleep to, he realised. He glanced at the clock. The playlist must be on its third or fourth repeat by now.

Hill and Nat were conked out on the couch. He’d heard them come in but hadn’t bothered to wake fully.

There was a box on the table. He nudged Liho off his lap so that he could investigate. Behind him Hill and Nat stirred at Liho’s whining and kneading. The box turned out to contain a small chocolate cake.

“There’s no candles,” said Hill apologetically.

Nick shrugged. He didn’t care about candles, but Hill loved giving people the singing ones that wouldn’t shut up.

“Let’s divvy it up.”

Hill went to look for enough dishes to serve and eat it from. Nat came up behind him, carrying the cat. She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Happy birthday.”

He smiled and gave her a one-armed hug. She’d sounded a little mournful, like she was sorry the day hadn’t left enough room to celebrate better. But that was just the stress of the last couple of years getting to her. This was how the three of them had always celebrated their birthdays, because there was _never_ enough time in the day for more, and that was how they liked it. They’d always managed for the three of them to be in the same room together long enough to enjoy the cake, so Nick really didn’t mind that his back and feet still ached and his eyes wanted to drift shut again for the rest of night.

“This is the best I can do,” said Hill, holding up three forks.

Nick and Nat looked at each other and shrugged. They each took a fork. Then the three of them sat shoulder to shoulder around the table, hunched over the box, and dug into the cake.

 

 

 


End file.
